Allegiances
by BlackElement7
Summary: AU fic. Life in the darker side of the city is not easy, whether you belong to the Konoha gang, Oto, or even the infamous Akatsuki. [SakuraxItachi]
1. Chapter 1

**Heeeey… I'm finally back, and I'm starting an AU (gold! Sorry, we're studying the elemental table in science right now…) fic now… It's slightly inspired by Erena G.T. Rose's ****Dangerous****, but it's definitely not nearly as good, and the beginning, middle, and end are very different. Heck, I don't know how ****Dangerous**** ends.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Hmph.**

**- - -**

Blood stained the brick wall as Itachi leaned heavily against it, clutching his bloody side. Three shadows fell over his pain-lined face and he looked up to see the twisted faces of the men who were chasing him.

"Look at him! Not so mighty now, are you? Uchiha Itachi!" the tallest sneered scornfully, kicking Itachi's side. Itachi managed to twist so that the blow missed the gash on his torso but winced, knowing that it would bruise.

_Damn… They just had to find me after I got this wound…_ He clenched his teeth. _I'll have to use a knife because I'm not strong to take them all on unarmed… But it's Hidan's knife…_ Hidan would probably kill him for dirtying his sacred knife, but if he did nothing, he would be dead for sure. For once, Uchiha Itachi had no options.

A fist connected with his cheek and he felt the bone snap. He glared at the owner of the fist and spat, but said nothing.

A smirk spread itself over the man's pale face. "I imagine we are the first to see the great Uchiha Itachi in such a vulnerable state?"

"Let me kill him now, Orochimaru!" the dark-haired boy beside him hissed, his onyx eyes blazing at Itachi's face.

The third man chuckled softly. "Patience is a virtue, Sasuke-kun."

"Shut up, Kabuto!" Sasuke snapped in return, not taking his eyes off of Itachi. "I've waited so long to kill him…"

Orochimaru laughed and produced a long knife from – anyone else would have shuddered, but this was Itachi – his mouth. Sasuke took the dripping handle without hesitation and raised it over Itachi's still form, poised for the killing blow.

And swore loudly as a senbon needle imbedded itself in his hand, causing him to drop the knife with a clatter. A bright, silvery laugh tinkled through the dark alley.

"Don't swear," the voice chided cheerfully. "It's rude." A slim figure stepped out of the shadows and into the dim light that the moon provided. Itachi's eyes narrowed at the silky strands of rose-colored hair that drifted over the girl's emerald eyes, but Sasuke's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the newcomer.

"You!" he snarled, stepping back. "What are you doing here?!" The girl giggled, raising an elegant, mocking eyebrow.

"I'm following you, of course!" she replied, slipping her hands into her sleeves. "I was sent to get rid of you." Her hands came out of her sleeves to settle in front of her, whirling glinting knives on her long, slender fingers.

"What did I do?" Sasuke demanded. Immediately, the girl's smile dropped and her eyes darkened.

"You know very well what you did," she said calmly. There was a whirring sound, and one of her knives thunked into Sasuke's chest. He coughed up blood. The girl frowned slightly, her eyes darting from Sasuke's hunched over form to Orochimaru and Kabuto. Shrugging, she let the other knife go speeding at Sasuke.

He caught it inches from his body and threw it back; she swiftly reached out and snagged it by the ring on the handle, carefully avoiding the blade.

Sasuke retrieved Orochimaru's knife and advanced on her. She only smirked and gestured at his hand. He glanced down and saw a hairline of red.

"Do you remember what my specialty is?" she asked, sending the kunai into a blurring ring of gleaming metal.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Poison," he spat. Itachi's eyes widened as comprehension dawned on him.

"Bingo!" She grinned, letting the kunai fly into the air. Sasuke tried to move but found that his body would not respond. When he tried to lift his arm, his leg twitched, doing nothing to prevent the girl's other knife from entering his chest.

"D-damn you…" he choked out as he keeled over sideways. The girl didn't look fazed as she watched him fall, offering him no show of emotion.

"Anyone who lives down here has been damned from the day they were born," she replied shortly before she put her placid, smiling mask back on to show the world. When she turned to Orochimaru, he and Kabuto were gone. Snorting, she bent over Sasuke's body and retried her kunai knives, tucking one away and severing his head with the other. "I'll just take this, then."

Itachi pulled himself to his feet, leaning against the wall. The pink-haired girl's eyes darted up to scan his figure before she straightened up, apparently deciding that he posed no great threat to her. And she was right – for the moment.

He hadn't become the leader of the infamous Akatsuki gang for nothing; beating the previous leader had been a battle to the death.

She pulled a small jar from her pocket and tossed it to him. He caught it and looked at her suspiciously, turning it over in his hand. Without looking at hi, she turned and kicked Sasuke's body aside.

"It's a medicinal cream. Rub in on your wound – it'll stop the bleeding." Her words were soft and polite, but her pose and the laughter in her voice told him she could hold her own.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Trust me?" She seemed surprised at the idea. "I never said trust me. As for the cream… I'll leave the decision up to you. Ne, Uchiha-sama?" With an echoing laugh, she slid into the shadows and was gone.

_Uchiha-sama?_ Itachi started. _How did she know…? _His eyes, blood-colored, narrowed. _Orochimaru. She must have been listening before she showed herself… And I didn't notice her!_

The wound in his side began to burn. Closing his eyes, he cautiously smeared some of the cream the girl had given him on his hand. When nothing happened, he applied it to the large gash. Relief spread through his torso, the coolness of the cream soothing his skin. He found that the wound had stopped bleeding and he could travel.

Merging with the shadows, Itachi made his way back to the Akatsuki base. _May we meet again…_

- - -

"Hey, Itachi! Did you bring my – What happened to you?" Hidan demanded as he noticed the blood on Itachi's hands. The Uchiha only grunted and tossed him the knife.

"You're lucky I didn't have to use that." Giving no explanation for his strange and puzzling comment, Itachi pushed past Hidan and found himself face-to-face with another one of his subordinates.

"Hey, Itachi," Kisame greeted.

"Where's Deidara?"

Kisame shrugged and jerked a blue thumb behind him. "In the back, probably arguing with Sasori about their stupid art again," he grumbled. "Can you stop them?"

Itachi ignored him as he stalked into the hallway, rapping sharply on Deidara's door. "Deidara."

"You're back already, un?" The blonde opened the door and stepped away so that his leader could step into the room. "What is it?"

Wordlessly, Itachi placed the girl's cream into his subordinate's hands. "I want you to take a look at that."

"Sure thing, un!" Deidara grinned and shoved piles of who-knew-what away from the middle of his desk, eventually unearthing a microscope.

Itachi could not help but wonder how the teen knew he even had a microscope. Deidara sat up suddenly, blinking in excitement.

"Nani? What is it, Deidara?" Itachi placed and hand on Deidara's chair and leaned down to look at the jar of salve. In the bright light of Deidara's room, he could see details that he'd missed in the moonlight – like the green specks that dotted the otherwise white cream.

"This is amazing, un! It's a medicinal cream made of herbs and ingredients that can only be found in one part of the city. The amazing thing is that it's made entirely from scratch and I've never seen it before, meaning that this is an original medicine. Whoever made this knows quite a bit about herbs, un." He turned to Itachi. "Where did you find this?

Itachi straightened up. "Someone gave it to me." Unconsciously, he pushed the cloak back, and Deidara's eyes studied his leader's side.

"What were you hit with, Itachi-san, un?" he asked, cocking his head and glancing up into crimson eyes.

"Some idiot got hold of a katana while I was talking to Orochimaru. Two of them, actually. Why?"

Deidara's eyes had widened. "Your wound healed in that short amount of time, un? I'd like to have the rest of this to try and see if I can figure out the ingredients."

Itachi nodded and examined his torso. Sure enough, there was only a light scar to prove that just minutes ago he had had a serious injury.

Taking a small dish and placing some of the cream in it, the blonde picked up a thin vial of purple liquid and dripped a tiny amount into the white stuff. Immediately there was a small explosion out of which Deidara just managed to get his arm.

Itachi's eyes narrowed at the smoking dish, but to his surprise, Deidara began chuckling. He put away the vial and stood, shaking with laughter.

"What is it, Deidara?" Itachi waited patiently until the teen's laughter had subsided, then repeated the question.

"The cream blew up when I tried to test it for poison, un! I'm pretty sure that there's nothing wrong with this, but I think I'd like the person who made this. Quite clever, actually; to have the substance self-destruct so it couldn't reveal the contents," Deidara replied in amusement. "I'd like to meet this person, un."

Itachi turned and swept out of the room. Before he closed the door, Deidara called, "I think I know a way to take the rest apart, though, un!"

Itachi said nothing, only lifted a hand casually in acknowledgement. Deidara mumbled something about the old-fashioned way but by then Itachi was too far away to hear.

- - -

"I killed Sasuke." Sakura tossed the head at the older woman's feet with disdain. "Tsunade-shishou."

Tsunade smiled grimly. "Good job, Sakura. Were there any complications?" The pink-haired girl hesitated.

"There were two men with him when I found him," she stated. "Should I have killed them?"

"Who was it?" Tsunade leaned forward sharply, her blond pigtails swinging across her shoulder.

"Ano… Orochimaru and Kabuto, he called them," Sakura replied uncertainly. "Shishou…?" For Tsunade's hazel eyes had widened.

"No." The blonde's voice was clipped. "Stay away from Orochimaru. He is not to be taken lightly, and Kabuto has medical skills to rival yours and mine."

"Hai." Sakura bowed politely. "Ah, shishou. I'm running out of herbs. I'd like to go and get some more."

Tsunade sighed. "Very well. But you must be back here before dawn. I don't want you seen."  
Sakura flashed her a grateful grin and was gone. The blonde sighed again and scratched her head, looking uncomfortably at the dead man's head. Already, the lips were turning blue in that telltale manner of poison. Sakura hadn't even had the respect to close his haunted eyes, so Tsunade crouched down and did it herself.

Outside, Sakura was intercepted, by a bouncing ball of yellow. "Sakura-chan! How did you do?"

She laughed cheerfully. "Hi, Naruto," she said brightly. "Tsunade-shishou has the traitor's head."

Naruto grinned ferally, narrowing his blue eyes. "Serves him right," he snarled quietly. "He had it coming, killing Sarutobi-sama…"

A young woman with blue hair and soulless white eyes rounded the corner, and Naruto's eyes softened. "Hinata-chan! Can I talk to you?"

Hinata blushed. "O-okay, Naruto-kun," she stammered shyly. Sakura laughed and, sensing no need for her presence, left to get her equipment.

Placing a black cloth bag in a pocket of her baggy black pants, Sakura slipped out of Konoha grounds and headed for the one place that she could get her herbs – the heart of the place ruled by the Oto gang.

A shadow flickered in her peripheral vision, and she whirled. Only to find a willowy blonde with sapphire eyes grinning at her.

"Yo, forehead girl. Tsunade-sama said I should accompany you!" she chirped. Sakura frowned.

"Ino, go back."

"Nuh-uh!" Ino retorted huffily. "Tsunade-sama told me to follow you; plus the guys on the emergency squad need more herbs.

Sakura sighed in defeat. "Are you sure you can make it to the heart of Oto? I heard there's a new, stricter leader."

Ino smiled sunnily. "I'll be fine; don't worry about me!"

"Fine. Let's go, then."

- - -

Deidara had given him the place where the herbs found in the girl's medicine grew. Scowling, Itachi cursed himself. Why did he care so much about seeing this girl? But he couldn't deny it; the girl could be a useful addition to Akatsuki. After all, they had no medic.

Two figures came out of the shadows and bent over, producing kunai and carefully gathering the plants. In the dim light, Itachi could see her pink hair.

HE watched, entranced, as her slim fingers deftly sliced through the stems and bundled them together, slipping the punches of green and purple and red into her pocket.

Then she froze and looked around. Her jade eyes passed over him without stopping at all, but she murmured something to her friend, who nodded.

- - -

She knew someone was there, but with the hazy air she couldn't pinpoint exactly who it was.

"Ino, go back." Her tone was laced with authority, and Ino obeyed without hesitation, dropping back and disappearing into the darkness.

Slowly, Sakura stood and turned, stepping toward the shadows. If the person watching bore hostile will, they would attack before she was completely gone.

And sure enough, strong arms held her immobile as a damp cloth was placed to her face. Recognizing the fumes and odor of a knockout gas, she wiggled and a tiny capsule fell to the ground. Breaking it with her foot, she felt the fresh antidote counter the effects of the gas and only feigned unconsciousness. The man behind her slung her limp body over his shoulder and turned. Fully alert, Sakura watched and memorized every twist and turn he took. She would know her way back.

- - -

Itachi dumped the girl unceremoniously onto the floor in a heap and then crouched down by her.

She quickly calculated the amount of knockout gas that had been in the cloth and waited the correct length of time before stirring.

"Nnng…" She rubbed her eyes and sat up, freezing when Itachi stood up. "Where am I?" As if she didn't know.

The raven-haired man chuckled. "You are in the Akatsuki headquarters," he told her quietly. "What is your name?"

The girl's eyes blazed and she lifted her chin proudly, keeping her mouth tightly closed. Just then, Deidara knocked and opened the door, too excited to remember the rule about entering the leader's room.

"Itachi-san! I found the last ingredient to this, un!" he exclaimed, waving the small jar frantically – and stopped short, staring at the girl on the floor. "Who is she?"

"That's what I've been trying to find out," Itachi replied amusedly. "So, you figured out how to take the contents apart?"

Deidara nodded happily, but Sakura spoke unexpectedly. "It doesn't matter," she scoffed. "I gave you the type that stops working after five minutes exposed to air." The blonde stared at her incredulously.

"You – what, un?"

"I gave Uchiha-sama an earlier version of that cream. I found a way to make it even better," she elaborated.

"You were the one who made this, un?" Deidara's voice was disbelieving. Sakura felt insulted and decided to remain silent.

Frowning when he could not get her to speak again, Itachi placed the saturated cloth over her mouth and nose once more, and once more she broke a capsule containing the antidote. When she slumped over, both men left the room, muttering quietly.

The instant she was sure they were gone, Sakura leapt up and opened the wondow, falling silently outside and following her memory back to Oto's land. From there Konoha was easy to find.

Deidara stepped into the room, almost knocking Itachi over when the Uchiha stopped abruptly. "What is it, Itachi-san?"

Itachi stepped aside to let Deidara see the floor in front of him. The _empty_ floor. "She got out." Itachi's voice was flat and emotionless.

Something on the ground caught Deidara's eye; he bent down and picked the shard of glass up, carefully turning it over in his fingers and examining it. Sniffing it cautiously, he narrowed the eye not covered by his long silky bangs.

"It's to counter the effects of the gas you drugged her with, un. That means…"

Itachi finished for him. "She was awake the whole time and probably knows the way back to Oto. We'll never find her now."

Deidara sighed. "She's interesting, un. Next time I want to talk to her longer and see how much she knows."

"Oh?" Itachi took the broken glass. "And how do you know there will be a next time, Deidara?"  
The blonde grinned, shrugging. "I don't know, un," he replied. "I can just feel it."

**Oh, how prophetic, Dei-kun… So, I'm finally back on. I have been… ahem… busy debating – cougharguingcough – with my friends about Sasori (who I have finally met). I think – no, I **_**know**_** that he's really really really really really pretty!!!!! But they don't agree. So tell me what you think: both about the story so far (my first long-ish first chapter!!!!) and Sasori (who really **_**is**_** pretty!!!!!). Ja ne! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chapter of Allegiances. Thanks to all the people who reviewed, and all of the people who agreed that Sasori is pretty (well, most people used the word "hot", but same difference…)!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!!!!!!!!!!! …un.**

**- - - **

Tsunade gave Sakura a strange look when the pink-haired girl stumbled into her private corner of the hideout.

"Tsunade-shishou… Requesting permission to sleep in tomorrow…" she panted, not giving any reason or excuse for her disheveled appearance. First rule in lying: Don't lie if you can get away with saying nothing.

"Give it to her, Tsunade-sama," a new voice urged. Shikamaru, Tsunade's trusted advisor, stepped out of the shadows, gazing lazily at Sakura. "She's had a rough day." He winked, and Sakura noticed Ino staring at her.

Instead of leaving, Ino had hung around in the shadows and had seen Itachi – but not his face – take Sakura. She'd also seen the antidote capsule fall, and realized that Sakura needed no help.

Catching Ino's eye, Sakura smiled gratefully at the blonde, who gave her a thumbs-up. Tsunade sighed and looked at Sakura.

"Fine, Sakura. I don't know what's going on, but if Shikamaru's with you on this, it must be important."

Sakura bowed. "Thanks, shishou." After Tsunade waved her away, she didn't hesitate to thank Ino and Shikamaru either.

Ino wrapped an arm around her tall lover's arm, peering into Sakura's face. "It's all right, forehead girl. Just… don't keep it bottled up inside forever. Tell someone sometime, okay? Or else you'll explode!" she added, giggling childishly.

Sakura chuckled; Shikamaru rolled his eyes and pulled Ino toward the bed they shared. The blonde waved cheerfully before docilely following the dark-haired strategist. Sakura flopped onto the blanket that served as her bed, pulling the cloth around her.

- - -

"Kisame. Deidara. Wake up." Itachi did not raise his voice, but both Akatsuki members were up and dressed as soon as he opened their doors.

"Another raid today, un?" Deidara yawned as he rubbed his eye sleepily. Itachi nodded curtly.

"There's a small portion – the core - of the group that calls itself Konoha all along right now. The outside ring is away on unknown assignments, so we should be able to take them relatively easily with a hundred of our recruits."

Kisame grinned, strapping his huge sword to his back. "I hope they fight back," he sneered. "It's no fun if they're too submissive."

- - -

Konoha hadn't survived this long by being soft, and when the attack came, they met it bravely. Nothing had happened recently, so members threw themselves into the fray with cries of fierce joy. Tsunade herself accounted for almost a fifth of the men killed. Bloodlust filled the air.

Weapons materialized out of hidden pockets and sleeves to hold their own against the intruders. Konoha seemed to be winning – until three new figures appeared. Ino could only watch in horror as first Hayate, then Asuma fell. When one man's weapon – a huge, bandaged sword – headed for Tsunade, who was busy with the two others, she could only shriek.

Sakura had no such problem. Slipping out two kunai from under her "bed", she slid in between her mentor and the incoming chunk of metal and blocked it with her own knives. The blue shark-man's eyes narrowed at the unexpected resistance and his lips stretched into a wicked grin.

He increased the pressure on her kunai and felt her arms buckle. Kicking Tsunade, she hissed, "Move, shishou!" Tsunade complied, and Sakura darted behind Kisame, jabbing a senbon needle into his side.

The tiny prick registered in his mind, even as he whirled, bringing his sword whistling down at her – and missing completely as his body sagged. Purple veins spread across his skin and crept up his arms. He collapsed.

"Be a little quicker, Sakura," Tsunade lectured. "He could have gotten you in that final moment."

"Yes, shishou," Sakura responded, sighing. She unsheathed her katana and placed it by his neck.

Another blade stopped her from slicing through the dead shark-man's body. She looked up into a familiar blue-eyed face and gasped.

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to behead Kisame, un," Deidara smiled. "I might be able to find a cure for whatever poison you use, in case you use it again."

Ino spoke up unexpectedly from the shadows. "You won't be able to do it, you know," she stated flatly. "Nobody can take either Tsunade-sama or Sakura's poisons apart."

"Ino!" Sakura hissed. "Thank you for your confidence, but I really don't need a reputation to live up to."

Deidara chuckled. "Sakura, was it? I'm afraid you already have a reputation to live up to, Sakura-chan, un."

Sakura snarled. "Really? And why might I have this reputation, may I ask?"

"Enough," Itachi interrupted. At his voice, Sakura froze. "We came to destroy Konoha," he said smoothly, ignoring her question.

"Obviously," she snorted under her breath, regaining her composure. Ino giggled nervously. "Ino. Take everyone and go. I'll be along shortly."

"But – "

"Ino!"

"But – "

"Sakura. Why throw away your life so rashly?" Tsunade's hazel orbs narrowed.

"It's my duty to Konoha to try and buy you a little time, isn't it?"

Tsunade's brows knitted. "Ino, take the others and go. With the both of us, we should make it out alive."

"Should," Ino muttered, but squeezed Sakura's hand and slipped away, beckoning to Shikamaru. One by one, Konoha disappeared.

Facing the Akatsuki members, Sakura swallowed. "Shishou…" she whispered. The older woman grinned, bloodlust gleaming in her eyes. "A few minutes is all they need, so if we can get out of this without being seriously injured…"

"That won't be necessary," Itachi stated. "Konoha will fall."

Glancing around him, Deidara chuckled. "Look at this place. Konoha has already fallen, un," he drawled.

"The place, perhaps, but not the people," Tsunade countered. "Never the people."

There was a clash of metal on metal. Both blondes whirled to see Sakura and Itachi with their blades locked. The girl attempted to stab her opponent with a senbon needle but it was blocked by a deft twist of Itachi's blade.

Her lips curled back into a snarl, and she danced out of the gleaming arc of his katana. Rose-colored hair floated around her face as she spun, loosing five kunai, which were knocked to the ground.

Deidara grinned and glanced at Tsunade. "Konoha can wait, un."

- - -

Itachi smirked as he parried blow after blow from Sakura's katana. He was using more strength than usual against a younger, smaller opponent, but still she was standing. Perhaps she would amount to something after all.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Deidara exchanging blows with the other female. Looking back at Sakura, he saw a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She was enjoying this, completely disregarding the nicks on her arms and legs.

Arms. His eyes narrowed. She was only using one hand. Now he noticed the way she flicked her blade upward out of the way before flinging swarms of senbon needles at him. He noticed how her left arm hung at her side like a dead weight.

Her beryl eyes flickered across his alabaster face; the widening smile on her lips told him she knew what he knew. The arm came out of the shadows and spread senbon out like a fan. She was done playing – now they would fight.

Her speed impressed him – her strength surprised him. She fought as well as a man twice her weight and managed to draw the first blood. Itachi gritted his teeth and glared at her; she stared calmly back. This was one opponent he would not underestimate.

- - -

Tsunade knocked Deidara out a split second before Sakura sent a senbon into Itachi's neck. Both men collapsed, and Sakura winced at the loud _thud_ their bodies made.

Producing a crystal vial, she handed it to Tsunade, who took it gratefully and put it to her lips. Recorking it, Sakura crouched over the Akatsuki members.

"Go on ahead, shishou. I want to make sure they're dead," she mumbled, noticing how her fingers were trembling. There was something about the ease with which the Akatsuki members were defeated that bugged her…

"Catch up quickly," Tsunade told her before disappearing.

"Hai, hai," Sakura sighed, turning back to the bodies – or rather, _body_, as it was only Deidara lying there. In his fingers was a bloody senbon. Pulling out her katana to behead him, she froze as a pair of arms held her immobile.

"You don't want to do that, cherry blossom," Itachi whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck. The sword dropped to the ground with a _clang_.

Deidara stood slowly, clutching his head. "Damn, that hag hits hard… You're not the only one who's worked with senbon, un."

_Ah…_

Itachi knocked her unconscious and slung her limp body over his shoulder. "Deidara. Let's go."

"What should I do with Kisame's body, un?"

"Leave it."

- - -

**And here we see Ino being the loving best friend I always make her… It's either that or an evil, vapid girl who Sasuke picks. I'm sorry if you get bored with my characters…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Because everyone is studying for finals (which I probably should be doing, but I'm too lazy…), I have nothing much to read, so here I am typing again.**

**- - -**

Sakura awoke in a brightly lit room three hours later. Noticing the smoking pot in the corner with a scowl, she splashed a bottle-full of revivant (A/N: Hey, the word "deviant" is on spellcheck, even though "spellcheck" isn't. What does deviant mean?) over it. Then she waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, growing impatient, she took out a piece of wood that she'd found a few days ago and reached for a kunai, only to find her weapons gone. How troublesome. (A/N: Shika-kun!!! ) Luckily, kunai were not the only things she carried as weapons. With a blade found in the toe of her sandal she set to work freeing the phoenix in the wood.

When Deidara came into the room, the basic shape had begun to show. Upon seeing the knife, he demanded it; she gave it to him willingly. And produced a thin stiletto from a sheath on her back the instant he was out of the room.

An hour later, he returned – Sakura restrained a smirk at the expression on his face. This time he took all of her stilettos.

He walked in two hours afterwards, confident that she would be unarmed. But no; she had hidden a packet of senbon in her chest bindings and had nearly completed the bird's body. With his face twitching, he confiscated all of the needles (and complimented her carving).

Only to find – another two hours later – that she had sharpened the nails on her right hand until they were razor sharp.

He screamed; Itachi arrived shortly after. "What is it, Deidara?" he asked calmly, looking at the fully detailed phoenix in her hands.

"She won't stop producing weapons!" the hysterical blonde cried as Sakura giggled, putting one last touch on her carving. As if to prove Deidara's point, she flipped open a tiny lighter hidden in her mouth and began burning shadows into the wood.

When Deidara showed him the large pile of weapons taken from their captive, Itachi only remarked, "Impressive, Sakura-san."

Upon hearing her name, Sakura spoke. "Why am I here?" she asked. "They won't come looking for me, so I can't be used as a hostage." She kept her eyes respectfully on the carving in her hands and her head lowered.

Itachi put a finger under her chin and tilted her face upwards, forcing her to look into his crimson eyes. She held his gaze steadily, without wavering as most people did.

"Why are you here, Sakura-san?" He chuckled quietly; she shivered at the deep sound. "To be honest – I have no idea why you're here."

Her dazzling eyes widened, confusion written across the emerald orbs. Deidara laughed, taking the lighter from her long fingers. He seemed to have recovered. "You don't have any weapons, do you, un?" he asked cautiously.

"Why would I tell you?" the pink-haired girl retorted. Itachi placed a finger on her neck, running it along an invisible line to the back of her neck.

"Perhaps you should give us the wire necklace, Sakura-san," he remarked calmly. Sakura's eyes flashed in annoyance mixed with respect and she sighed, sliding her fingers under the wire and tugging sharply. She handed Itachi the cobweb-thin wire.

He examined it closely in silence. Placing it in Deidara's hands, he glanced at Sakura. "A pretty piece of work, Sakura-san. Did you make it?"

She nodded slowly, fingering a small ring on her left hand. Blood-red followed the movement of her hands and narrowed slightly.

"I have seen that ring on another's hand," he said quietly. Sakura stiffened, looking down at her hand.

"Have you?" was all she said.

Deidara peered curiously at the ring before looking at Itachi. "Whose hand, un?"

It was then that Itachi spoke the name of the previous leader. His voice was softer than usual, and Deidara shivered. Sakura, however, went deathly pale and strangely still.

"Of course," she murmured. "Is he here?"

"He was the leader of Akatsuki," Itachi told her. Her eyes narrowed and she let out a short, harsh laugh.

"How quick to rise in the ranks," she muttered. "But it will be his downfall. Too much power will get to his head."

"It already has, un," Deidara mumbled. "Itachi killed him a year ago and took his place."

Sakura's head shot up in shock. "D-dead?" she whispered. "Are you serious?!"  
"Of course, un." Deidara cocked his head, looking quizzically at her. "Why?"

She seemed not to have heard him. "Gone. All this time, he's been gone." She sank to the ground, staring at the ring on her finger. "Killed by his own subordinate. How ironic!" Her quiet laughter sent a chill down Deidara's spine.

"Sakura-san. Did you know him?" Itachi crouched beside Sakura and looked sharply at her.

"Of course." Her laughing continued, softer and softer until it subsided. "Of course I knew him."

"How, un?" Deidara lowered himself to the floor as well, sitting cross-legged next to her.

"Hm… When I was little, we belonged to the same gang. I specialized in poisons, and he in hand-to-hand. Using a poison I'd unknowingly given to him, he killed the whole gang. I barely survived because I had an antidote on hand. My friend – I gave what little I had left to her before she was completely gone. Couldn't save anyone else. He fled. Shishou found us and Konoha took us in. But there were side effects to my poison that I hadn't foreseen, and I didn't have enough time. Within the hour, she was dead."

"That is all?" Itachi's keen gaze focused on her face.

She smiled bitterly, dropping her head and letting her bangs hide her face. "Of course, there's always the fact that he's my brother."

**- - - **

**And there's the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! …Nah, just kidding. Actually, this used to be the last part of the second chapter, but I liked having it end where it ended. Without further ado, this is the last chapter of Allegiances!!!!!**

**- - -**

_"Of course, there's always the fact that he's my brother."_

"What?!?!" Deidara exclaimed, leaping to his feet. "Y-your brother, un?!" Sakura shrugged tightly, keeping her face hidden by her hair.

"We were never close; the only connection between us was really our blood. I'm glad that he's dead," she muttered.

"Siblings, hm?" Itachi stood slowly, thinking. "You have skill, and Akatsuki could use a good medic…"  
Sakura shook her head violently, her bangs flying to reveal her pale, drawn face and trembling lips. "No! I belong to Konoha!" She stood defiantly.

A kunai thunked into the wall next to her. A thin trickle of blood appeared on her neck, staining the neck of her black top. Itachi bent over and licked the crimson drops from her skin.

"Allegiances change quickly, Sakura-san," he whispered. "You know our location. If you refuse, I will be forced to spill more of your delicious blood."

Sakura shivered at the feel of his tongue on her neck, hissing in pain as he passed over the cut he'd given her.

"I'm not afraid to die," she replied quietly. "Those who fear death are the first to die down here."

Itachi paused and smirked, his hot breath sending shivers down Sakura's back. "How true, Sakura-san," he murmured softly, pulling away slowly. "Deidara. Take care of her. I'll be back."

"Hai, Itachi-san, un!" Deidara grinned. After Itachi left, he turned to Sakura, producing a chess board from nowhere. "Can you play?"

She smiled back thinly, emerald eyes lighting up eagerly. "Of course! I'll play black."

He laughed. "Of course, Sakura-san, un!" he replied generously.

- - -

She was much better than he'd expected, having put him in a very challenging situation. He bit his lip, thinking.

Sakura's eyes darted all over the board, lingering on some pieces before moving to others. Shikamaru had taught her to play since she'd been taken in, and he was a master. She'd been laying her trap since the beginning of the game, and they were approaching her victory.

Sure enough, when Itachi came back two hours later, she'd checkmated Deidara. She smiled happily, reaching a hand across the board to him.

"Good game," she sighed.

Deidara shook her hand, staring at the unmoving pieces on the board. "That's amazing, un!" he exclaimed.

Sakura laughed cheerily and sat up the pieces again. "Nah, I just had a really good teacher. I've only beaten him once, when he was blind drunk. Doesn't really count."

Seeing Itachi, Deidara stood and smiled. "I'll see you soon, then, Sakura-san, un," he told her. "Good luck."  
Before she could ask for an explanation, Itachi slid to the ground across from her, fingering the white king.

"Will you play me, Sakura-san?" he asked, his crimson eyes boring holes in her. Nervously, she nodded, observing as he made his first move. Offensive – but everything about him was offensive, wasn't it? (A/N: Is it even possible to make an offensive first move in chess? I mean, you can move a knight, but other than that, it's all pawns…)

She countered with an attack of her own, challenging him. They played in silence until she made the first capture. What she hadn't foreseen was the way her move had left an opening for him to capture a more important piece.

Cursing at herself mentally, she studied the board. When she was sure she hadn't missed anything else, she reached out and slid a piece directly into the enemy ranks.

"Check," she muttered. He pondered a moment before retreating. But she had anticipated this and followed cautiously but firmly.

Only to be blocked by a piece not worth taking. She frowned and sat back, beryl eyes flickering back and forth between pieces until she grasped her knight and moved it decisively into a threatening position.

He raised an elegant eyebrow. "A sacrifice, Sakura-san?" (A/N: And I'm listening to Evanescence's Sweet Sacrifice…) He let his hand rest on bishop, turning his penetrating gaze onto her. "Why won't you join us, Sakura-san?" He saw a risky maneuver that would be necessary if he captured – but then, he'd always loved risks. He replaced the knight with his bishop.

"I belong to Konoha," she repeated firmly, moving into a position that told him to stop her before she got all the pieces in place.

"You would be treated well here." His pale hand nudged a piece in the middle of Sakura's pattern.

"I was treated fine before," she shot back, shoving her queen forward aggressively. She was blatantly offering her best piece up – but it would cost him the game.

Itachi chuckled softly, reaching across the board to stroke Sakura's cheek gently. "Give it a year with us," he suggested smoothly. "After that, we'll let you go with an oath of silence." He moved his rook, and Sakura saw that the next move – no matter what she did – would be checkmate.

Sighing, she tipped her king over, signaling her defeat. "…Okay." Her voice came out as barely a whisper, but he caught it.

A smirk spread itself over his face as he stood, pulling her up with him. She immediately backed into the wall behind her at the look on his face. He followed her.

"Tell me, Sakura-san," he murmured silkily into her ear, "have you ever been in love?" She tried to keep steady as his fingers traced over every scar on her neck.

"It was Sasuke, but he left," she whispered, turning her face. Itachi took her chin and turned it back towards him.

Then he pressed his lips against hers, noticing as her eyes widened. He caught the fist she threw at him easily without flinching. When he pulled away, he smirked and spoke, letting his hand rest on her collarbone.

"Deidara likes you. If you stay, you will be liked, cared for." He glanced at her before opening the door. "You will be loved." He beckoned her to follow him.

As she stared at his back, Sakura touched her lips. Whatever happened in the next year, she would not be returning to Konoha for a long time.

_"Allegiances change quickly…"_

**End Allegiances.**

**- - -**

**So, what did you think? I love chess, so I couldn't resist putting it in. There was this one game that I played where I lost in the fourth move. My friend took her opponent's queen in her fourth move. I love destroying her carefully planned victories with my stupid moves. She still wins anyways, though…**


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